Return Journey - ACE112.3

Early and current footage of Bolton, where Spender came to live in 1937. Photographs from the pre-war period with film of the same locations today. Commentary explains that Spender was supposed to remain unobserved as he photographed. Spender walking through new and derelict residential area; his VO talks about MO as "a chance of getting to know people" whom his privileged background had "protected" him from. Photographs of men in public houses; Spender’s VO says he found himself "forced into … frightening social confrontations". Some of Spender’s photographs, "empty of people", which, commentary suggests, reflect "that tension between fear and attraction". Pub interior. Commentary describes the aims of MO, with its Observers being part of the community, rather than looking at it from outside, "‘to make visible the invisible patterns of everyday life’"; this enabled them to better criticise government and other policies based on indifference to the realities of working class life. Spender in pub. Some of Spender’s photographs. Photograph of Harrisson and Observers at breakfast in Davenport Street; Spender describes how they were briefed, even to look at "small specific actions" such as how people held their cups.